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São Paulo’s AI surveillance system arrested nearly 4,000 people by 2025, including many wrongly, sparking privacy and bias concerns.
São Paulo’s Smart Sampa AI surveillance system, launched in 2024, uses facial recognition across 40,000 cameras to identify fugitives and suspects, claiming to have captured 3,000 fugitives and arrested nearly 4,000 people, contributing to a nearly 15% drop in robberies by 2025.
However, over 8% of those arrested were later released due to errors, including an 80-year-old man and psychiatric patients wrongly detained.
At least 141 arrests involved outdated warrants, and many targeted individuals faced civil offenses like unpaid child support, raising concerns about the system’s use for civil enforcement.
Critics highlight a lack of racial data, making algorithmic bias impossible to assess, and note the system disproportionately affects poorer, peripheral neighborhoods and migrants.
While officials deny bias and emphasize public safety, civil rights advocates warn of privacy violations and systemic inequities.
El sistema de vigilancia de IA de São Paulo arrestó a casi 4.000 personas para 2025, incluidas muchas erróneamente, lo que generó preocupaciones sobre la privacidad y el sesgo.